We know that roles in the digital space in the Caribbean are pretty new and most HR teams and companies haven’t quite grasped exactly what the new roles in marketing are and what types of skills, qualifications and duties to expect from them. In this article, I want to give a breakdown of a Digital Strategist Job Description that can be used as a guide for companies in the Caribbean who are looking for a Digital Strategist to run their marketing team.
One of the reasons I wanted to put this together is that when we look at the jobs being posted from Caribbean companies for marketing roles, they tend to be all over the place, some have 10 specialties combined into 1 role and others have a Job Title and the duties have zero correlation with each other.
So let us take a look at some of the duties, education, and experience that a Digital Strategist should have and I’ll also throw in the salary ranges for the role.
The Digital Strategist Job Description
A digital strategist is a professional who helps organizations plan and execute their digital marketing efforts. They are responsible for developing and implementing a digital marketing plan that aligns with the overall business goals and objectives. The goal is to help organizations effectively reach and engage their target audience through digital channels, in order to drive business growth and success.
Duties of a Digital Strategist
- Develop and implement marketing campaigns that promote a company’s brand, products, and services through digital channels
- Collaborate with the marketing team and other stakeholders to identify target audiences and develop strategies to effectively reach and engage those audiences
- Manage the creation of digital marketing content, such as blog posts, email newsletters, social media posts, video content, podcasts, online ads and any other type of content that will aid the growth of the company
- Track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of campaigns and make data-driven decisions to optimize their performance
- Use tools such as Google Analytics, GSC, Bing Webmaster and social media analytics to track website traffic, engagement, and conversions from various digital channels
- Stay up-to-date with the latest digital marketing trends and techniques, and identify opportunities to incorporate them into campaigns
- Manage budgets and project timelines for marketing campaigns
- Collaborate with design and development teams to ensure that marketing campaigns are delivered effectively and on schedule
- Contribute to the development and execution of the overall marketing strategy
- Participate in search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising initiatives
- Collaborate with influencers to promote the company’s brand and products
- Provide regular reports and insights to stakeholders on the performance of marketing campaigns and the effectiveness of different tactics.
Soft Skills
- Communication skills: A Digital Strategist should have strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate ideas and present data to stakeholders.
- Collaboration skills: Digital marketing often involves working with cross-functional teams and collaborating with other departments, so strong collaboration skills are important.
- Creativity: A Digital Strategist should be able to think creatively and come up with new and innovative ideas for marketing campaigns.
- Problem-solving skills: Digital marketing is constantly evolving, and Digital Strategists should be able to think on their feet and find solutions to problems that may arise.
- Organizational skills: A Digital Strategist will often be responsible for managing multiple campaigns and projects simultaneously, so strong organizational skills are important.
- Time management skills: A Digital Strategist should be able to manage their time effectively and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
- Adaptability: The digital marketing landscape is constantly changing, and a Digital Strategist should be able to adapt to new technologies and trends to stay competitive.
- Leadership skills: Depending on the team size, a Digital Strategist may be responsible for leading and managing others, so strong leadership skills are important.
Education of a Digital Strategist
- A bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or industry courses/certifications
- Strong portfolio with a proven body of work in executing the roles and functions of a digital marketer
- Proficiency in digital marketing tools and techniques, including social media, email marketing, content marketing, and analytics
- Familiarity with search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
- A strong understanding of the latest digital marketing trends and techniques, and the ability to stay up-to-date on industry developments
The 12 Disciplines of Digital Marketing
These are the 12 disciplines that make up a Digital Marketer. You are expected to have foundational knowledge in all 12 disciplines but specialize in 3 of the skills.
- Content Marketing
- E-Commerce Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization
- Email Marketing
- Paid Traffic
- Optimizations & Testing
- Data & Analytics
- Conversion Funnels
- Search Marketing
- Copywriting
- Community Management
- Social Media
Salary Ranges For Digital Strategists
- United States – $50,000 – $106,000usd per year
- United Kingdom – $45,000 – $90,450usd per year
- China – $33,600 – $101,380 USD – per year
- Australia – $36,700 – $100,150usd per year
Industry Certifications For Digital Strategists
There is a wide assortment of industry certifications that a Digital Strategist can get to become certified. Here are a few to get you started that you can check out:
- Fundamentals of Digital Marketing – Google
- Digital Marketing Mastery – Digitalmarketer
- Diploma In Digital Marketing – Digital Marketing Institute
- Google Analytics 4 Certification
- Google Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Certificate – Google
- Digital Marketing – Clickminded
- Digital Marketing – Udacity
Top Books To Read For Digital Marketing
- Day Trading Attention – Gary Vaynerchuck
- Digital Marketing for Dummies – Ryan Deiss
- Digital Marketing Strategy – Simon Kingsnorth
- Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction – Derek Thompson
- Youtility – Jay Baer
- Ogilvy on Advertising – David Ogilvy
- The New Rules of Marketing & PR – David Meerman Scott
- Permission Marketing – Seth Godin
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
- InstaBrain: The New Rules for Marketing to Generation Z – Sarah Weise
If you are looking for a Digital Strategist to head up your Marketing Teams, then I hope this gives you a guide on what the role entails, the education and some of the salaries around the world for the role.
If you want to become a Digital Strategist, then you can look at some of the courses laid out that will help you become certified internationally within our industry.
I will also stress that one of the most important things to truly get to know a Digital Strategist is their body of work/portfolio. This will ultimately give you the greatest look into their abilities and what you can expect when bringing them on into your organization.
Anybody can pass the tests, get the degrees and certifications but with digital marketing, you should be able to look and see the work they have done online and use that to determine if this person is ultimately the right fit.